An exciting new history for anyone interested in the Early Church. Drawing on recent research and newly translated texts, it sheds significant new light on the influence of Desert spirituality, introducing us to the lives of previously unknown monastic figures.

Vast in scope, rich in insight and eminently readable. Worship This is a book about the God, the many splendored God, to whom the human community journeys. It's pages offer sage direction...for anyone who wants to improve the quality of his or her life as a pilgrim...Experiencing God may well become a major pastoral contribution to the formation of a biblically and theologically sound contemporary theology. New Catholic World Succeeds admirably in what it sets out to do; to introduce lay Christians, in a way that engages them personally, to the rich resources which the Christian tradition offers those who seek a practical path for approaching God. Those unaquainted with that tradition will find it most helpful; but spiritual directors will also find here a useful, readable resource for enriching their personal lives and ministry. - Theological Studies A landmark. Review and Expositor

In a culture intrigued by various forms of "spirituality," this study invites readers to explore the deep, historically rooted resources of the Christian spiritual classics. It is an invitation to seek the transformative presence of God - the kingdom of God within our hearts - through the spiritual classics. These classics, formed in the matrix of meditation on Scripture, are like road maps that provide invaluable wisdom and guidance for the spiritual journey. Illustrating the importance of theologically grounded spirituality, A Luminous Life draws from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant classics that stem from rich trinitarian and christological reflection. This book explores key themes in the spiritual classics, including biblical images and historical models of spiritual development, prayer, fasting, solitude and community, the cross and suffering, the desert, spiritual direction, and contemplation and action. This study seeks to bridge the academic and ecclesial, demonstrating that the life of the mind and life in the Spirit are unified, that theological reflection and spiritual formation go together. Considering exemplary writings from diverse traditions, such as the Desert Fathers, Maximus the Confessor, Teresa of Avila, and John Calvin, A Luminous Life draws readers into worshipful reflection on God and formation in Christ. The book concludes with the encouragement to ongoing, prayerful study of the spiritual classics: as fuel for the luminous life.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Monthly current affairs magazine from a Christian perspective with a focus on politics, society, economics and culture.

We are living in challenging times. And it is easy to escape, pine for the "good old days," or unrealistically dream our way into the future. Instead, we are invited, in this book, to face our troubled world, to identify our inner struggles of faith, and to voice our anxieties and pain. And most importantly we are invited to wrestle with the God who so often seems absent. Living with a fragile hope, we are called by the gospel to nurture an inner life that responds with faith and courage to the brokenness of our world and the woundedness of our inner being.